We Interrupt Your Regularly Scheduled Life
by L-chan
Summary: Tomoyo thinks her son should know his father. But is Touya ready to have his life changed completely? Contains TouyaTomoyo and TouyaYukito Discontinued.
1. Never a Good Time

L-chan's notes: You may have seen this chapter posted over on livejournal. Yes, I've decided to try to make a story out of it. It's the old secret baby cliché, but I hope I'll be able to bring something new to it, by my choice of characters if nothing else. Please let me know what you think.

Disclaimer: Card Captor Sakura is not mine. Not now, not ever.

We Interrupt Your Regularly Scheduled Life to Bring You This Important Announcement

Chapter 1—Never a Good Time

Tomoyo reflected on how much things had changed as she studied the group of old friends gathered in Sakura's living room. It had been too long since she'd seen everyone, though much of that had been her fault. She'd spent almost four years hiding from the past, thinking that moving away would be the answer. But running away only delayed the inevitable.

Part of her knew that it was time to get everything out in the open. The other part was afraid things would change for the worse. She knew she had to tell him herself, before anyone else could. But it had been so long now, and putting it off had become easier, just as facing him had become harder. She still wasn't sure what her decision would be. Maybe tonight she'd get a reprieve. Maybe he wasn't coming after all.

_Of course, he's coming._

"Ooh, you're so cute!" she heard Sakura squeal, and she turned to see what was happening. Sakura was holding a squirming little boy in her arms, but he was laughing as she tickled him. "How old are you now, Reiji-kun?"

Reiji held up two pudgy fingers, until Tomoyo cleared her throat. "Reiji...." she prompted. He gave a knowing grin and held up one more.

"Three!" he answered proudly.

"Three!" Sakura repeated in the exact same tone, winking at Tomoyo as she set the boy down. "When did that happen?"

"Overnight, apparently," Tomoyo drawled, but there was warm affection in her voice. "It must've been magic."

"Magic!" Reiji tugged at Sakura's skirt and looked up at her with beseeching eyes. "Magic! Show me a trick!"

"Reiji...." his mother said again.

"Please," he added politely.

"Okay," Sakura replied. She pulled her stack of cards out of the pouch she always carried, and after a quick shuffle, she fanned them out and presented them face-down to the boy. "Pick one."

Tomoyo watched her young son carefully consider the pink cards before him. She really was lucky to have him, no matter what the circumstances. He was a healthy, happy, beautiful child, with almond-shaped eyes the color of midnight, and thick hair a shade of brown that most people mistakenly called black. He was incredibly smart for his age, and with Sakura and Sonomi spoiling him, he never wanted for anything. _Except...._

It always came back to that. She knew she was denying him something important, but she was trying to do what was best for everyone. And that was wrong, and not even true, because she was being selfish.

Reiji's curious eyes passed over the cards once more before finally selecting one. Sakura turned it over to reveal the image of the Bubble Card, and within seconds, a sea of iridescent bubbles was floating in front of the giggling boy. He reached out to catch them all and then taste the soapy stickiness on his fingers. "Do some more," he requested after the last one had popped.

"Maybe later," Tomoyo answered before Sakura could comply. "I think Alice is in the kitchen with Kero-chan and Spinel. If you hurry, you might get a cookie before they eat them all." She didn't usually bribe her son with sweets, but he'd been on his best behavior today, and if he was busy with a treat, she could get some time to talk with her dear friend.

"Okay, 'kaa-chan." But before he could go, his mother took an opportunity to fuss over him, smoothing his unruly hair and brushing away imaginary lint on his navy pants. She kissed his cheek and sent him on his way before collapsing into a chair._ I'm only twenty-four. Why do I feel so old?_

Sakura sat down next to her. "Is this weird for you?" she asked quietly.

"A little bit. But it's not often we're all back in town at the same time. It's good to see everyone again." She'd been worried, but when she'd introduced her son to her old friends, no one asked any questions. They'd simply accepted him. She was grateful for that. Besides, it wasn't as if none of them had ever harbored any secrets of their own before. Everyone here had kept something from the others at one point. She was the only one without a good enough reason. "And I've only ever seen Alice in pictures," she continued casually, though her mind was not fooled by this attempt to divert her worries. "She's such a sweet girl."

Sakura nodded. "I can't believe she's seven already. And she looks more and more like Kaho every day. Except for the smile—that is pure Eriol."

"I overheard them saying that you're next. Any truth to that rumor?" Tomoyo teased.

"I hope not," Sakura answered, waving her hands in front of her with an embarrassed smile. "Someday, sure, but right now, with all the traveling back and forth that Syaoran and I do, it's just not a good time."

"It never is," Tomoyo said, then tried to shake off her melancholy tone before Sakura could comment on it. As a distraction, she picked up a nearby photograph of Sakura's parents and pretended to look at it with great interest. But it was no use. Being in this house, surrounded by these people, was going to bring back all those memories, both pleasant and unpleasant. She was an adult, and she would just have to deal with them.

Sakura knew what she was doing and took the frame away, but she too studied the picture before returning it to the table. "I'm glad they're together now," she said wistfully.

"I should have told your father.... I wanted to, but...."

"He knew."

"He did?"

"He asked me about it one day. He'd figured it out, but he understood why you kept it to yourself. He just wished you could have been happy."

"I am," Tomoyo said, but she knew she didn't sound convincing. "I love Reiji, and I wouldn't give him up for the world. And Osaka is nice, really."

"But is it enough?" Sakura asked, concern in her voice and her eyes.

"It has to be." She could only be selfish up to a point. She wasn't going to disrupt everyone else's lives out of some need to satisfy her own desires. They were never going to be a family, so she had to be the best family she could for her son.

_But he should have a father_, her conscience whispered to her. It had been singing that same tune for years, and she was getting tired of it.

_I grew up without a father_, she answered herself forcefully, _and I turned out just fine._

_Yet you named him for your father. Doesn't that tell you something?_

_Oh, shut up._

Sakura watched these conflicting thoughts pass through her friend's violet eyes. "Tomoyo...."

"Is he happy?"

"Yes."

"Then that's that." Tomoyo shook her head and blinked away tears before they could fully form. "I don't want Reiji to be hurt."

"And you don't want to be hurt, either."

"He can't reject us if he doesn't know." She'd told too much. This wasn't about him rejecting her. It was about something buried deep in the past. Growing up without a father might not have been the worst thing to ever happen to her, but she had never completely healed from that rejection.

Sakura reached out and took her friend's hand. "He deserves to know," she said softly.

"I know. But I can't put any of us in that position. I won't make him feel obligated. And you know that's exactly how he'll feel."

"You think you know him that well?"

"I know him well enough," Tomoyo said with a forced laugh. "Obviously." It would have been a joke, had it been funny.

"Tomoyo...."

"Tomoyo?" She chose to acknowledge the second person to address her, leaving Sakura to frown in annoyance. "I believe this belongs to you." Eriol had approached, carrying a sleeping Reiji in his arms. He reached up to ease the grasp the boy had on his indigo hair. "Too much excitement for one day, I'd guess."

"Probably," she answered as she took her son. Reiji opened his eyes briefly and then yawned as he snuggled close to his mother. "Thank you."

"Any time."

"Since it appears to be a moot point anyway," Tomoyo said to Sakura while Eriol looked on with obvious curiosity, "we should go."

They were in the middle of making plans to meet for lunch the next day when she heard the front door open. She froze as a familiar voice called, "Sorry we're late!"

"Damn train," a deeper voice added, sending a chill right up Tomoyo's spine. She'd been so close to escaping, but she pasted a too-bright smile on her face to cover her apprehension. She suddenly wished she'd chosen an outfit more sophisticated than this denim skirt and plain turquoise blouse. She probably looked like a fifteen-year-old.

"Yukito!" Sakura practically jumped into his arms, and he gave her a big hug. "It's about time." She let go and put her hands on her hips as she acknowledged her brother with a stern pout. "You could have called."

"Well, it's not my fault the train made a non-emergency emergency stop," Touya answered. "We could've walked faster."

"I guess flying never occurred to you," Sakura said to Yukito as she finally hugged her brother, stepping on his foot when he called her a monster.

"Not without creating a spectacle," he answered cheerfully.

Tomoyo felt rooted to the floor. She was sure roots had literally sprung up from the rug and twined around her slippered feet. She kept imagining the roots as everyone else made small talk, picturing them winding their way up her legs, around her waist, until she and Reiji were completely surrounded. Would anyone even notice? Would she be able to cry out for help before the roots covered her mouth?

"And Tomoyo!" Yukito said with his same kind smile, having absolutely no clue about the panic she was feeling. "I haven't seen you in ages."

"Yeah, it's been a while." Touya's greeting was stilted and completely impersonal, but, otherwise, he seemed unfazed. Until his brown eyes came to rest on the boy in Tomoyo's arms.

Tomoyo wouldn't let herself look at him and instead forced her attention on the oblivious Yukito. "Oh, and is this your son? I didn't even know you were—"

"Yes, this is Reiji," she answered before she had to explain to yet another person who didn't know she was married that she actually was _not_. It was hard enough being a single parent without being reminded of it all the time. "He's three." Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the blood drain from Touya's face, and she would have sworn he was mentally counting on his fingers.

"He's very cute," Yukito said. "He looks like you."

"Thank you," Tomoyo answered, protectively clutching the soundly sleeping boy to her. Now that she was in this moment, she didn't know what possessed her, whether it was exhaustion or guilt or maybe Sakura's earlier prodding, but before she could stop herself, she looked directly at Touya and said, "But I think he looks more like his father."

-----

I'm already working on the next chapter and will try to have it up soon. Thanks for reading.


	2. Four Years Earlier

L-chan's notes:  This is your flashback chapter, to answer the question of "Where did Reiji come from?"  It's also the chapter that earns this story its R rating for sexual content, so if you are underage, please skip this chapter.  In terms of plot, you won't miss much that won't be referred to later.  If you _do_ read, I thank you for that, and I appreciate any comments you care to send my way.

We Interrupt Your Regularly Scheduled Life to Bring You This Important Announcement

Chapter 2—Four Years Earlier

Tomoyo was glad she'd accepted her classmates' offer to go out and celebrate the end of term.  It beat going back to her apartment and falling asleep during an old movie on television, and was a much more fun way of shaking off the stress from exams.  The three girls were sitting around a booth at a cozy bar, sharing a pitcher of some fruity concoction that surely contained more alcohol than the taste let on, and spilling secrets about some of their professors.  The stories were already starting to get ridiculous, with each girl trying to top the others with far-out tales that resembled truth about as much as a politician's campaign promises.

"Okay, I've got one," Tomoyo said, giggling as Kaede poured her a second glass of the strawberry punch.  "You know how Akita-sensei always has—"  She was about to spin her best fable when a familiar figure caught her eye.  Sometime in the last few minutes, Touya had taken a seat at the bar to order a beer.  Tomoyo kept looking at him curiously until he finally noticed her, raising his hand in a silent greeting.  She waved back and tried to remember what she'd just been talking about.

"Ooh, so who's that?" Harumi asked, bringing Tomoyo's attention back to her friends.

Kaede was practically leaning over the table to get a better look.  "Mmm, he's yummy.  Have you been holding out on us, Tomoyo?"

"No, no," Tomoyo answered with a shake of her head.  "He's just... my cousin."

"So, he's available?" Kaede asked.

"Not exactly.  He has a boyfriend."  That wasn't her business to tell, but one drink was all it had taken to loosen her tongue.

Kaede and Harumi both sighed with the unspoken lament of single women everywhere—_why are all the cute ones gay?_  "Then we're completely harmless," Harumi said.  "See if he wants to join us."

Tomoyo glanced back at the bar.  "I don't know...."  He didn't seem to be in a very good mood.  She could practically see the dark cloud hanging over him as he frowned into his glass.  Was something wrong?  Why wasn't he with Yukito?

"He looks like he needs some fun.  And we're fun, right?" Harumi prodded.

Her friends weren't going to let up, so Tomoyo finally gave in and crossed the room, perching awkwardly on the barstool next to Touya.  "Hello," she said when he didn't look up.

"Yeah, hi."

He sounded distracted, and Tomoyo wished she hadn't bothered him.  But now that she had, she had to say something.  "How are you?"

Touya rolled his eyes and swirled the beer in his glass.  "How do I look?"

Tired.  He looked tired.  "Like you've lost your best friend."

Her guess was met with a sardonic chuckle.  "Give the girl a prize."

"Did something happen to Yukito-san?" she asked worriedly.  Though, surely, if something had, Sakura would have called her.

"I don't want to talk about it."

"Oh.  Okay.  I'm sorry."  Sufficiently chastised for intruding where she was not wanted, Tomoyo slid from the stool and prepared to slink back to her table.

"No, I'm sorry," Touya sighed.  "You were just being nice.  That's not something I get a lot of lately."

She didn't know how to respond to that without further invading his privacy.  "Well, if you want some company, you can sit with us."  She pointed to the booth, where her two friends were watching eagerly.

"Thanks," he said vaguely, but he didn't sound interested.

"You're welcome."

She turned to go back to her table, but he stopped her.  "What are you drinking?"

"Excuse me?"

"If I'm going to intrude, I should at least spring for a round or two."

"Really?  I mean, if you don't want—"

"No point in being alone and depressed.  I'm sure Yuki's not sitting around waiting for me to call and apologize."

That sure made it sound like they'd split up, but she still didn't feel comfortable asking him about it.  Instead, she let him buy them another pitcher of strawberry punch and thanked him profusely before throwing him to the wolves.

But her friends surprised her by being extremely polite, though they still managed to fawn over him as Tomoyo made the necessary introductions.

"You're Sakura's brother?" Kaede asked, and he nodded.  "I had your father for history overview last term.  He's really great."

"Yeah, I think he's the only professor we haven't made fun of," Harumi added.

"I'm sure he'd be touched," Touya replied dryly.  "If you all go to Towa, then surely you've had Miwa-sensei for philosophy seminar?" he asked, and the girls all nodded.  No one escaped Towa University without suffering through Miwa-sensei's coma-inducing lectures.  "Does he still have the toupee?"

"That's a toupee?" Harumi asked.

Touya raised an eyebrow at her as if to say that it should be obvious to anyone with eyes.  "And a pretty bad one.  I remember this one time when he'd left the windows open to air out the classroom, and a bird tried to nest in it."

Kaede's mouth dropped open in a mix of amusement and horror.  "You're making that up."

"It's the truth.  I swear."  But he shot Tomoyo a quick grin, which made her wonder if the toupee part was even true.

More drinks were served, and they continued to joke and tell stories about school or work or their families.  Touya had visibly relaxed and seemed to be enjoying himself, much to Tomoyo's relief.  She watched him as he told her friends about the magazine article he was researching, but she didn't hear anything he said.  Instead, she was busy just looking at him.  She'd never done that before.  He was quite good-looking, as the girls had said, but maybe she'd just gotten used to that.  Now it was like she was seeing him for the first time.  His eyes were the deepest shade of brown she'd ever seen, and his dark hair was just disheveled enough to give him that carelessly sexy appeal.  She mentally scratched out "quite good-looking" and replaced it with "perfectly gorgeous."

He caught her staring at him, but instead of being embarrassed, she gave him her best smile.  He smiled back and held her gaze until Harumi asked him something about his research.  It was only when the connection was broken that Tomoyo felt silly for flirting with him like that.  But she realized she'd been flirting with him all evening, laughing at his jokes and displaying her most charming personality.  It must have worked, because sometimes, he'd been flirting back.

After one last round, Harumi suggested going to a karaoke place she knew, but Tomoyo begged off, claiming that she was too tired.  Her friends didn't even protest and immediately invited Touya to go with them, but he gave the same excuse and offered to take Tomoyo home.  She tried to conceal the inexplicable happiness that bubbled up within her.  

The walk to her apartment was much too short, and she found herself disappointed that the evening had come to an end.  The countless strawberry drinks had left her with a warm, mellow feeling, and she didn't want that to end.  While she was trying to figure out what to say, he said it first.  "Thanks.  I had fun."

"Really?"  She didn't mean to sound so surprised, but it must have been funny, because he laughed.  Plus, he'd had as much to drink as she had, which had loosened him up considerably.  "Well, good.  I know my friends can be a little... enthusiastic."

"They weren't so bad.  And it was nice, hanging out with you.  All these years, and we've never done anything together, just the two of us," he added. 

She'd been thinking the same thing.  She'd learned more about him in one evening than she had in all the years she'd known him.  "It was nice," she agreed.  "Nice" was usually a tepid word, but in this context, it was warm.  Very warm.  "Maybe we can do it again sometime."

"Yeah, maybe."  There was something in his tone that made her study him carefully.  He was looking at her, and though his features were deliberately schooled in an expression of polite interest, his dark eyes showed something else.  The brown—almost black—color was brimmed with the ambiguity of conflicting emotions.

All evening she'd been experiencing a similarly complex barrage.  She'd been curious about him, felt sorry for him, enjoyed flirting with him, and found herself attracted to him.  As she met his gaze, all of these came flooding back.  Maybe her emotions weren't as conflicting as his appeared to be, but they were confusing nonetheless.  He was holding her there with his eyes, telling her something she couldn't understand no matter how much she tried.  Maybe she wasn't supposed to.  It was possible he didn't even realize what he was doing.  And if he thought he wasn't giving anything away, he was wrong.

But that couldn't be it.  Because she knew that whatever Touya was telling her, she was saying it back to him.  And he was acknowledging it.  All without words.  All in total silence.

Except for the rapid pounding of her heart.     

The moment was finally broken when Tomoyo looked down quickly.  She'd felt something strong there, an electric current that sent a buzz through her body and left her tingling all over.  There was no way this was happening.  It was crazy.  So, then... why did she want it?

Her eyes met his again, and he seemed a bit shaken, too.  But he composed himself well enough that she wondered if it had been her imagination.  "Well, I'll see you later," he said, just a hint of a wry smile playing at his lips.  His hand reached out and almost brushed her hair before coming to rest on her shoulder, then sliding down her arm slowly until his fingers closed around hers in a gentle squeeze.  It was the non-date equivalent of a good night kiss, but if he intended it to be just a friendly gesture, it felt like more.   

She couldn't find her voice to respond until he'd almost moved past her to head back toward the stairs.  "Wait," she said, and he turned around.  She sent him every nonverbal signal she knew and asked, "Do you want to come in for some coffee?"

He held her gaze briefly before nodding and following her inside the apartment.  She flipped on the entry light, and their shoes and coats were left neatly by the door in a way that belied the haste with which they were removed.  The kitchen remained dark, and the coffee pot completely ignored.  They never made it that far.

Tomoyo felt her back meet the hallway wall as Touya's mouth covered hers.  He tasted faintly of beer and salt, and she knew she must taste like strawberries and cream.  The contrasting flavors mixed together on her tongue like an aphrodisiac.  Her arms wound around his neck, and her fingers slid into his thick hair as she kissed him back, first in awkward exploration, then with deeper passion as she gained confidence, learning the shape of his lips and how he liked to be kissed.

His hands were on her waist, pressing her back against the wall with just the gentle nudge of his body, trapping her there, though there was nowhere else she wanted to go.  She pulled him closer to encourage him, and as she did so, the thought flashed through her mind that she shouldn't be doing this.  She stamped that thought out, dug a hole for it, covered it with dirt, and stamped on it some more.  She was an adult, and if she was attracted to someone, why shouldn't she act on it?  It wasn't as if she expected anything from him.  She knew that sex didn't always have to go with love and commitment.  Sometimes it was just for fun, a way to share something special with someone and create a wonderful memory.

Of course, this was the first time she'd ever seriously considered putting that theory into practice.  She'd never slept with someone she wasn't at least officially dating.  But they liked and respected each other, and that was enough for her.  It was simply a continuation of this night and the closeness they'd developed, and she wasn't willing to let go of that yet.

So when his hands moved higher, searching for her blouse buttons, she didn't protest.  Her mouth was otherwise occupied, first with the kissing, then with slight panting as his fingers brushed over her pale skin, sparking heat inside her like the strike of a match.  Once her blouse was hanging open, he slid a hand around her back, feeling for something before realizing her bra clasped in the front.  He quickly remedied that mistake and pulled the hook free from its sleeve.

The kisses continued to build in frequency and intensity.  Tomoyo found herself struggling to breathe and finally dragged her mouth away from his when he pushed the lace-trimmed fabric aside to curve his hands over her breasts.  Like a string being pulled taut, she felt the tightening of her entire body as her flesh puckered beneath his circling thumbs.  The sparks flickered again, and she gasped against his cheek.

Her own fingers went to work on Touya's shirt buttons, and when the last one was free, she ran her hands over his chest.  There was a small part of her that was holding back giggles, having never imagined that she would ever be half-naked and undressing her best friend's brother, whom she'd known for ten years without ever noticing how incredibly sexy he was.  It was funny and absurd and surreal, and at the same time, there was so much heat between them that it wasn't funny at all, and she couldn't laugh if her life depended on it.

Their mouths came together again in a series of fleeting kisses, sharing the same breath.  His hands trailed down the sides of her body and came to rest on her waist again before sliding lower and finding the hem of her skirt.  He pushed the fabric up and out of his way, and she wrapped her arms around him again as he pressed closer to her.  She wanted him, so much that her body was crying, and she felt the unmistakable evidence that he wanted her, too.

But when his fingers wandered near the top of her panties, those earlier thoughts crawled out of the grave she'd dug for them.  She needed to be sure before going any further.  She wasn't the one newly out of a long-term relationship.  "Wait," she whispered.  It was the first word either of them had spoken since coming inside.  His hands stopped but didn't move away.  "Is this really okay?"

He looked at her, his eyes dark with lust but showing confusion.  "Don't you want to?" he asked hoarsely.

"Why do you think I invited you in?"

"For coffee?"

"I don't have any coffee."

He chuckled at that and kissed her again, and she was relieved to know that he truly wanted to be here, with her.  There was no hesitation, no sign of second thoughts in that kiss.  It was all heat and desire as his tongue teased its way between her lips.  She leaned against the wall and pulled him close, falling back into the moment so easily that it was as if they had never stopped.  While one of her hands was rubbing his back beneath his unbuttoned shirt, the other traced a path along his zipper before gently cupping him, then squeezing him.  His breathing became more ragged, and his fingers dug into her hips.

Her neck arched as his open mouth left a hot trail from her cheek to her shoulder, and the sparks inside her merged into a full flame.  He began tugging her panties down, and she wiggled side to side in an awkward attempt at helping while grabbing his shoulders to keep her balance.  She forgot about even trying to breathe now, since his hands were caressing her bare legs, lifting one up around his waist.  She could feel the coarse fabric of his pants against the sensitive skin of her inner thigh, and she moved her leg again, reveling in the friction like she'd discovered electricity.  His hand remained there to support her, and the other finally sought the place between her legs.

Words had no meaning.  They didn't even exist.  There was only pure physical feeling as two of his long fingers stroked her, slowly moving back and forth, priming her.  She gasped, and he swallowed the sound as he kissed her again.  The fire inside her burned with the intensity of the sun, and the heat pushed against the underside of her skin, fighting to get out.  She started to whimper, and tears formed at the corners of her eyes.  One of his fingers folded back, leaving just one dragging across her swollen flesh, back and forth, back and forth, and then slowly, slowly sliding to the front before stopping there, just the barest touch of the tip of his finger, until all of the sensation in her body was concentrated in that one tiny spot.  As he slowly, delicately, relentlessly rubbed that spot, she moaned, clutching him to keep from drowning.  With one last stroke, the sun burst, and its light poured from her.

She only had enough time to pull in one shaky breath as he hurriedly unzipped his pants and lifted her up.  Her legs automatically clenched around him when he pushed inside her, hard and hot.  His hand squeezed her bottom with every frantic thrust, and he breathed heavily against her neck.  There was something desperate about the way he moved, driving into her again and again, deeper and faster, and all she could do was hold on tightly.  She thought she heard him murmur her name, but the sound was lost when it dissolved into her skin.  She was still reeling from the overwhelming pleasure she'd tasted, but before it could build again, he let out a low groan, and his body shuddered against hers.

The wall held them up as reality found its way back into their world.  Tomoyo soothingly raked her fingers through Touya's hair, and she could feel his heartbeat become slow and even again.  He finally raised his head and gave her a sheepish smile.  "Sorry.  It's been a while."

"I wasn't complaining," she answered.  Though she couldn't help wondering if he meant in general or with a woman.

He was about to say something else, but a yawn interrupted him.  "God, I need to lie down," he muttered.

"You know, I _do_ have a bed, if you're interested," she teased, and he nodded.  When her feet touched the floor again, she led him to her room, where they shed the rest of their clothes before climbing into her bed.  He was asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow, but she wasn't as lucky, unable to quiet the thoughts running through her mind.  A few hours ago, she never would have seen this coming.  What did it mean, if anything, and what was going to happen between them now?

Maybe she wasn't ready for a casual affair after all.  In the moment, it was wonderful, but after, it was too confusing.

The next thing Tomoyo knew, a hand was tenderly brushing her hair away from her face.  She opened her eyes then closed them again quickly when she was assaulted by the early morning sunlight streaming through her window.  "Hey," Touya said softly.  "Are you awake?"

"Kind of," she mumbled, braving the brightness.  When her eyes had focused, she saw him crouching next to her bed, once again fully clothed.

"I have to go home and change for work," he said, "but I didn't want to leave without saying thanks for... well, just thanks."

"My pleasure," she answered.

His fingers gently trailed over her cheek, and he pressed a light kiss to her forehead.  "So, I'll see you."

"Sure.  See you."

But when he left, she was wide awake and oddly disappointed, and her room seemed... empty.

---

Two weeks later, Tomoyo and Sakura were going through a pile of videos, trying to find something to watch for the evening.  "I think my dad hid all the good ones," Sakura complained, frowning at the choices spread out on the coffee table.

"We could go out to a movie instead," Tomoyo suggested.

Before Sakura could consider that, they heard the front door open.  "Hey, kaijuu!"

"Stop calling me that!"

"Whatever," Touya replied dismissively as he came into the living room.  He looked a bit startled when he saw Tomoyo, and she knew her expression matched his, though they both covered well.  She hadn't seen or heard from him since the night they spent together.  "So, _kaijuu_," he continued, smirking when his sister seethed at the name, "did 'tou-san tell you I could borrow his suitcase?"

"Yeah, it's upstairs.  I'll get it."

"Thanks."

Which left them alone.  Tomoyo had tried not to think too much about him lately, reminding herself that what happened was never about anything more than what it was.  Still, when she remembered the way he'd touched her.... "How are you?" she asked politely, hoping her cheeks weren't flushing from the memory.

"Good.  You?" 

Clearly, they weren't going to address that subject.  "Fine, thank you.  Going on a trip?"  She cringed at the stupidity of the question.

"Yeah, I'm leaving for London tomorrow, to see Yuki," he answered.  He only appeared vaguely uncomfortable to be telling her that.  "We're going to try to work things out."

"That's good," she said sincerely.  "I hope you do."

"Me too."

She shouldn't have felt crushed, but she did.  She'd known going in that it was just sex, just a one-time fling.  She had no claim to him and no right to be upset that a man who was not her boyfriend was going back to a relationship with someone else.  She did her best to hide her disappointment from him and continued to wear a smile all through their superficial conversation.  Why did this bother her so much? 

She tried to put the blame on her hormones.  It was almost that miserable time of the month, and though she didn't usually suffer such moodiness, it was the most reasonable explanation.  In a few days, she'd feel like herself again.

But a week later, she discovered she was pregnant.

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	3. In an Instant

L-chan's notes: Back to the present timeline. Right now, I don't know how long this story will be, but I hope you'll find it interesting enough to keep reading. Thanks for doing so.

We Interrupt Your Regularly Scheduled Life to Bring You This Important Announcement

Chapter 3—In an Instant

Touya didn't hear a word that was spoken to him all evening. He managed to make the proper noises and nod politely when anyone addressed him, but for all he knew, he was confirming his excitement about being eaten by a mutant octopus while his gaki of a brother-in-law provided the play-by-play. And now that dinner was over, and now that Eriol and Kaho had taken their strange family home, maybe his silence would be even more suspicious. Fortunately for him, Yukito was in a particularly gregarious mood and talked enough for the both of them.

He didn't know what to make of Tomoyo's thinly veiled announcement. She'd left soon after, apologizing for her early departure with the excuse that she needed to put her son to bed. But Touya had felt something when he saw her little boy. There was a powerful recognition there that set off warning bells in his head. He hadn't felt such an immediate connection to someone since he'd given up his magic years ago. And when he did the math, it all added up.

Tomoyo's son was his. There was no other explanation. The way she'd looked at him defiantly, like she was daring him to admit, in front of Yukito and everyone, that they'd shared a night together. The way she'd casually neglected to say anything more, making the statement sound more like a general observation about her son's looks than an accusation.

_But if it's true, why didn't she tell me?_

"Anyone for more coffee?" Sakura asked, breaking into his thoughts.

_Coffee_. He almost laughed at the absurdity.

"Can I help?" Yukito asked, standing to follow Sakura into the kitchen.

If anyone knew, it was Sakura. She'd been Tomoyo's best friend since elementary school, and the one most likely to know her deepest secrets. He needed to talk to her. Now. "I'll get it," Touya said abruptly, getting to his feet. "Sakura?"

His sister had been about to sit down after his offer, but he gave her a look only siblings would understand. It was a silent communication they'd perfected during their father's illness. "Yes, I'll show you," she answered.

"Everything all right?" Yukito asked quietly as Touya collected their cups. Behind his glasses, his hazel eyes brimmed with concern and a trust Touya knew he'd betrayed.

"Fine. Just trying to be a good brother," he replied.

"Since when?" Syaoran muttered from his spot on the sofa, but a frown from his wife silenced any further sarcastic comments. Touya couldn't even be bothered to do that much. He had bigger problems than the usual trading of insults with Syaoran.

In the kitchen, Sakura started a new pot of coffee, and Touya leaned against the countertop with a heavy sigh. He shifted on his feet apprehensively, then started opening cabinets in a search for something he wasn't going to find. "Onii-chan," Sakura began, her voice pitched so low that he could barely hear her over the percolating machine.

If he was going to find anything out, it had to be now, while they had a moment alone. "Tomoyo's son," he said hesitantly, noticing her green eyes widen, not with surprise, but with something akin to sympathy. "Who's his father?"

Now Sakura shifted uncomfortably, ignoring the persistent beep of the coffee pot. "You should ask her," she evaded.

"Is it me?"

"I really think you should—"

"I'm not asking what you think. I'm asking what you know."

The Sakura he grew up with would have yelled back at him for talking to her like that. The little girl would have said he was a mean bully and stomped on his foot, and the feisty teenager would have told him to go to hell. But this Sakura surprised him by putting her arms around him and hugging him tightly. "She should be the one to tell you," his little sister replied softly. His baby sister, who had somehow turned twenty-four without him ever noticing, and now had her idealistic outlook shattered with the knowledge that her big brother was a cheater and child deserter.

Because it was true. If it weren't, Sakura would be asking what drugs he'd taken to come up with such a delusion. Or she'd worry about him being on the wrong side of crazy. At the very least, she'd wonder when the hell he'd slept with her best friend. Instead, she was completely calm and even supportive. That could only be because it was true.

"I don't think badly of you," she said, reading his mind with sibling intuition stronger than magic. "I remember how it was back then. But I also understand Tomoyo's side of the story."

"Which is what, exactly?" Touya pulled away from his sister, not wanting her patronizing comfort. "God, I don't believe her. I have to—"

"Don't," Sakura said, holding onto his arm before he could take a step toward the door. "Don't go over there angry and hurt. Try to see it from her point of view."

He would have laughed at that, only he couldn't. Tomoyo wasn't entitled to a point of view that basically amounted to her lying to him for four years about something that changed his life so drastically. "Why are you—?"

"Sleep on it," his sister suggested. "Please. Tomorrow you can go to Sonomi-san's and ask anything you want. But just think about it before you do or say something you'll regret."

Touya ran his hands through his hair and closed his eyes as he shook his head. "I can't believe this. I can't believe this is happening." Somehow the full force of it was just now hitting him. He was a father. He had a son. "What am I going to do? What am I... oh, God, what am I going to tell Yuki?"

He'd never told Yukito about Tomoyo. He didn't think he had to. It was only the one time, and while they were trying to put their relationship back together, there was no good reason for that confession to be made. It wouldn't undo what had happened, and Touya knew that being honest about it would be more hurtful than keeping it to himself. It felt awful, like he was lying, but he didn't see any other way. He never asked Yukito about his actions during the time they were apart, believing it was better to leave all that in the past and start over.

Now that mistake had come back to haunt him. He'd been stupid and careless, all because he'd given in to the influence of loneliness, several beers, and a pretty girl's smile. It never should have happened. Why hadn't he stayed home that night instead?

"Give me your keys," he said now. Sakura simply stood there with confusion etched over her normally cheerful features. "Your keys," he repeated, his hand outstretched.

"Onii-chan...."

"This isn't something that can wait until tomorrow. If you won't let me borrow your car, I'll call a cab. Or walk. But I'm going over there."

She knew he wouldn't be swayed once his mind was made up, so she nodded slowly and fetched her spare set of keys from the side table drawer. But before handing them to her brother, she hesitated. "What am I supposed to tell them?" she asked, tilting her head slightly in the direction of the living room.

"I don't care. Make something up."

The drive to Sonomi's house should have given Touya enough time to prepare a lengthy and detailed list of all the reasons why Tomoyo was one-hundred-percent in the wrong to hide this from him, or to contemplate what having a child meant to him, or even to nurse his anger so as not to lose any of its intensity before he could light into her. Instead he forced himself to focus on the dark road, because he could not afford one second of distraction. His knuckles turned white from his tight grip on the steering wheel, and his eyes fought against blinking and losing sight of the faded stripe along the asphalt.

At the entry gate, he pressed the intercom button and identified himself, which led to a brief pause while the housekeeper relayed the information and awaited permission to allow their visitor inside. It seemed to take longer than it should, but perhaps that was because time had stopped moving at a normal rate. It hadn't meant anything for the past three hours, and he wasn't even aware that three hours had passed. It felt like a nanosecond and an eternity. The gate finally opened, and he made his way to the front door as time sped up again.

He was surprised that Tomoyo chose to greet him at the door, instead of trying to gain an upper hand by making him wait. "Welcome," she said pleasantly, a politely inquisitive smile pasted on her face. But he wasn't fooled. She knew why he was here, and he could see the nervousness in her eyes, even though she was clearly determined to play the proper hostess. "Would you like some tea?"

"Why, are you all out of coffee?" he replied, feeling his upper lip fight against curling in a sneer.

Tomoyo blanched visibly but maintained her poise. "No." Her voice was strong, though still with a slight tremor in it. She kept her eyes on his, and if he hadn't been so upset, he might have admired her for not recoiling like a timid mouse at his hostile demeanor. "Well, then, please have a seat," she offered, gesturing toward the front room and its plush sofa.

Touya didn't want to sit. He didn't want to sit and chat cozily like old friends. They weren't friends. They weren't _anything_. But she turned away and left the foyer, giving him little choice but to follow.

Neither of them sat. "I know what you're going to say," Tomoyo began.

"You can't possibly know what I'm going to say," he answered. "God, how could you do this?"

"Aren't you even going to ask? You're being awfully presumptuous."

"Don't even start. He's mine. I know it."

She closed her eyes and sighed. "Yes."

"Why didn't you ever tell me?"

"I had my reasons."

"That's not good enough."

Her violet eyes opened again and regarded him honestly. "I was scared, okay? I was twenty years old, and I'd just had my life turned upside down. I didn't know what I was going to do. I didn't even know if I was going to keep him."

He looked at her, aghast and disgusted, and she was quick to explain before he could think the worst of her. "I spoke to our lawyer about adoption. That was my immediate reaction—I was too afraid and confused to even think about raising him myself. But of course she pointed out that the odds of him finding a good family were low to none, so I told her that I'd think about it and get back to her."

"But I never did," she continued. "As the days passed, I realized that I _did_ want him. I'm his mother, and there was no way I'd be able to live with myself if I gave him up. I knew I'd always worry about him and wonder what he was doing and if he was happy. And I realized I loved him too much to turn him over to someone who could never love him as much as I do. Once I realized that, I knew I'd made the right decision."

Touya tried to take all of this in, and he was finding that against his will, his anger was beginning to subside. Maybe it was the vulnerable and open way she spoke about her child. But he didn't want to be touched by her story, a story that should have included him. All of her decisions were made without him, and that was inexcusable. "That doesn't answer my question. Why didn't you tell me?"

Now Tomoyo sat on the sofa and waited until he did the same before answering. "I thought it would be better that way. I didn't want to cause you any trouble."

"Cause me—?"

"I knew you and Yukito-san were working things out, and the last thing you needed was me coming along and botching that up. It's not like I expected you to drop everything and marry me. And I didn't want you to think that's what I was after."

"But—"

"When I saw you at Sakura's wedding, I knew I had to tell you, but I couldn't. And then your father got sick, and, well, that would have been horrible timing, wouldn't it? It was almost like I wasn't supposed to tell you."

He leaned back and tilted his head against the sofa, staring up at the ceiling. "I guess those are reasons. I'm not sure if they're good ones."

"I'm sorry. I truly am."

All of this... all of this was so overwhelming that Touya still didn't completely believe it. It was something that should be happening to someone else. "You told Sakura," he said, trying to remember that he was supposed to be upset about this and not feel sorry for her.

Tomoyo nodded. "She's always supported me, and that was what I needed, more than anything."

"And your mother? What did she have to say?" The pause that followed his question was long enough to make him look at her. "Does she know it's me?" Considering that Sonomi probably would have had him killed, if not worse, he'd have to guess that she didn't.

"No. I told her it was a one night stand, which is the truth."

"It wasn't just a one night stand."

"Well, it was just one night, and we _were_ standing," she mused, smiling slightly like she was joking, but he couldn't find the humor.

"Don't play semantics games. You know you weren't just some random screw to me."

"Wow. You sure know how to make a girl feel special."

"Well, now we're even."

Tomoyo's tiny forced smile was replaced with a thoughtful frown. "No matter when or how I told you, you were going to hate me. Damned if I do, and damned if I don't. Which isn't completely fair. I certainly didn't get pregnant on purpose, or all by myself, you know."

Touya reluctantly admitted that was valid, but it wasn't the point. Or maybe it was, since he wanted to blame her for this, when he'd been a willing participant and was fifty-percent responsible for the consequences. Being angry with her was in part to distract him from being angry with himself. And a poor distraction at best. "Why now?" he asked quietly.

"You deserve to know," she answered simply, "whether or not you want anything to do with him. And even if you don't, I want to be able to tell him the truth, when he's old enough to understand."

_Whether or not I want anything to do with him?_ What did that mean? Did she think he would callously walk away from here and act as if this child didn't exist?

It wasn't going to be easy. It was going to cause a major upheaval in his life, not to mention how it would affect his relationship with Yukito. And Tomoyo would become a permanent part of his life, someone he had to discuss things with and make decisions with, unlike the polite yet vague way they'd always treated each other before. But this was something he had to do, no matter how hard it was.

"I'm asking you because I want this to be your choice," Tomoyo said, breaking into his thoughts. He'd missed the first part of whatever she'd said. "And, if you don't want to see him, then please don't pretend that you do. I don't want him becoming attached to you if you're going to change your mind."

Coming from anyone else, that would have sounded like an insult. Anyone who knew Touya would know that he took his responsibilities seriously, and he could be trusted to do the right thing. But Tomoyo was speaking as a mother needing to protect her child. He had to respect that.

"So... do you want to meet Reiji?"

_Reiji. _She'd probably said it before, but it hadn't resonated. His son's name was Reiji.

_My son._

"Yes. I want to meet Reiji."

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